JACKSONVILLE, Fla.-- It's been a long time coming from the Gobaton family. The suspect-- believed to have killed their beloved Analisa, is standing trial.
Both the State and Defense gave opening statements to the jury today. According to police, Taurice Brown fired gunshots down Transylvania Avenue after a botched drug deal. Both his companion in the car and the man he was aiming for -- fired shots as well. Prosecutors say one of those shots, struck Analisa in the head -- as she waited at the stoplight on Blanding Boulevard.
She was a mother of three, innocently driving by, taken too soon.
"She was minding her own business, and all of a sudden a bullet from that man or his cohort went through her window," one prosecutor said.
"There's no weapon, first of all. You've got witnesses that have stories conflicting with each other. They're going to get up here and try to have the same story, but that's why officers do what they do. Stories evolve," a defense attorney said.
Several witnesses were called to the stand, including the man who originally bought crack cocaine from Brown. That man told the jury Brown was angry after he tried to buy drugs from a rival dealer. The man said Brown fired those shots during a fight with that rival drug dealer.
"Mr. Wiggins pulled out into the road, kind of on the other side...in front of him, kind of side by side. They started having confrontations," Vincent Mariano said.
Brown sat in silence for the duration of the proceedings, as did Gobaton's family. They showed up in big numbers...waiting for what they call justice and waiting for some answers in a near 2 year-old mystery.
At least 190 pieces of evidence will be submitted into court during this trial. It will resume Wednesday at noon.
